Ticks are now recognized to transmit many serious human diseases. Proper tick avoidance measures should be combined with regular skin inspection and prompt tick removal to minimize the risk for contracting a disease transmitted by tick bite.Tick basics.

• Most authorities state that a tick must be attached to a human for 48 hours in order to transmit an infectious disease, notably Lyme disease.
• They readily attach to the skin of victims, most commonly in the scalp, armpits, groin, and other dark, moist areas. They may wander for a while in search of a comfortable (for a tick) spot.
• Once in place, they hang on with the mouth parts and feed on the victim's blood.

Tick prevention.

1. Wear proper clothing to prevent tick attachment.
• Keep shirts tucked into pants and trouser cuffs tucked into socks.
• Wear light-colored clothing - it displays ticks better than dark clothing.
• The best repellent is permethrin (Permanone) applied to clothing, not to skin, but DEET is also effective.
2. When traveling in forests and fields, inspect the body thoroughly (particularly the hairline, groin, underarms, navel, scalp, and other hair-covered areas) for ticks each day.
3. Don't forget to brush ticks out of the fur of all dogs and pack animals.

Removing a tick from a human.

1. Grasp the tick close to its mouth parts with tweezers or fingernails and pull it straight out with a slow and steady motion.
2. If available, use a grooved or V-shaped device designed to slide between the tick and the skin to trap the tick and allow it to be pulled from the skin.
3. Do not twist the tick. If you must remove it with your fingers, use tissue paper or cloth to prevent skin contact with infectious tick fluids.
4. Do not touch the tick with a hot object (such as an extinguished match head) or cover it with mineral oil, alcohol, kerosene, camp stove fuel, or Vaseline; these remedies might cause the tick to struggle and regurgitate infectious fluid into the bite site.
5. If a tick head is buried in the skin, apply permethrin (Permanone insect repellent), using a cotton swab, to the upper and lower body surfaces of the tick. After 10 to 15 minutes, the tick will relax and you can pull it free.
6. After the tick is removed, carefully inspect the skin for remaining head parts, and gently scrape them away.

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